Chatime - St Lucia

Back in my uni days at UQ St Lucia, one of my major complaints was the lack of food and drink options, being absolutely green with envy at some friends who had easy access at QUT Gardens Point to all the food in the CBD. Fortunately for current students now, there have been considerable improvements since the time in which I was studying full time. Having heard that even Chatime has opened a branch there, I made a point to check it out before Japanese class. 

It took me a while to locate, but the tiny store was situated inside of Schonell Theatre. Compared to the city store, their menu seemed to be a bit more condensed. Even my standard blue mountain green tea was off the menu! Needless to say, I was left with no choice but to venture out of my comfort zone and try something else.

At least Queen V's standard green tea yakult with aloe was on the menu. Trying out something new, I settled on a lemon green tea. 

My lemon green tea was refreshing and had a nice sour lemon tang which didn't overpower the green tea. I would definitely have preferred a stronger flavoured tea though, and the lemon taste was a little artificial, but at least bubble tea is now available at UQ, a reality I would have loved back when I was studying.

Price Range: $3 - $7pp

Taste: 7/10
Value: 7/10
Service: 7/10
Environment: 6/10

Sushi Kenzen - Fortitude Valley

Last lesson in Japanese survival and last opportunity to get take out. Taking the easy way out and getting a repeat, I noted that foodora was doing free delivery on select stores. Having long been curious about Sushi Kenzen (but too lazy to walk all the way out to Fortitude Valley for it), it made for a perfect opportunity for me to get it for dinner.

The availability of an online menu made it very easy for me to get Queen V's order, and allowed me plenty of perusal and consideration before having to commit.

Wanting to try out their highly customisable sushi rolls, I was very pleased to see that this was also available online. So of course I ordered one.

Next thing I knew, our orders were delivered with perfect timing. 

Also wrapped in paper (therefore making it squish prone), I loved (and agree with) the branding, and would go so far as to say that sushi is a religion, to which I am utterly devout.

  

Queen V had three sushi rolls, Lemon Chicken, Beef Avocado and Chicken Avocado. They were also wrapped in plastic for eating without chopsticks. Compared to other sushi chains, the rolls were considerably larger in size, albeit a little more expensive than the usual. The topping to rice ratio wasn't particularly generous, but it was decent, and Queen V enjoyed the meal.

My fully customised 8 inch sushi roll was a bit squished, and the sauces had leaked out quite a bit by the time it came for me to eat it, which left more to be desired when it came to packaging of the sushi roll. Owing to the time lag to eat the roll, my lettuce had already become quite soggy, but nevertheless, the avocado and eel was very tasty and packed full of flavour, whilst the wakame gave it added texture and crunch. For the price of $10.80 though, it was roughly the length of two of Queen V's sushi rolls, so hers was definitely better value, but I did enjoy the customisation elements

Price Range: $10 - $15pp

Taste: 7/10
Value: 7/10
Service: 7/10
Environment: 7/10

Miss Chi Qi - Brisbane CBD

Another day, another Japanese lesson, and I am definitely running out of dinner ideas. Having been a short while since I last had some rice paper rolls, it was time for a repeat. This time, I decided to try out the long established Miss Chi Qi, which has been in Wintergarden since I can remember. 

Not being able to find a menu online proved difficult for me to decide what I wanted earlier, in addition to making a call for Queen V's order. The rolls on display looked plump, plentiful and fresh, giving me a very hard time for me to make my choice.

Service was warm, patient and friendly whilst I was making my decision. Eventually I got my order takeaway.

Queen V and I both had three rolls each.

I had one chicken avocado, one bbq pork and one duck roll. Compared to the ones I had earlier at the roll shop, they were far more generous and large in size, with considerably more toppings (but for a higher price of $3.50 per roll instead of 3 for $7). I had it with fish sauce, which gave it quite an authentic Vietnamese taste. Whilst I found the oxidised avocado a little mushy and disappointing, I guess that was to be expected for waiting numerous hours before consumption. Both the duck and the bbq pork were well seasoned and tasty but the chicken was quite bland though. I liked how the salads inside remained fresh.

Price Range: $3.50 per roll

Taste: 7/10
Value: 7/10
Service: 8/10
Environment: 7/10

Vietnamese Baguette - Brisbane CBD

Third time getting take away for class. Being boxed in by the parametres of food that does not require reheating whilst being able to retain its freshness for a couple hours without refrigeration, I was definintely quite pressed for ideas. Thankfully, I found some inspiration in Vietnamese Baguette whilst walking through to the bus station in the bottom level of the Myer Centre. 

Despite the name, there were also quite a few non baguette options such as salads, noodle soups and rice. Out of logistic convenience, we opted for baguettes for dinner rather than exploring the other options. 

A bit like subway, once we chose our main meat, we had a selection of salads before toasting the baguette.

It was a real shame I wasn't able to eat it on the spot. The temptation was real as I held onto the hot toasty bread rolls and walked it to class. The bread was definitely very fresh and fragrant. 

Queen V had the lemongrass chicken, whilst I opted for the signature crispy pork belly. This was probably the best dinner I've ever had for the price of $5.80. Despite the heat from the toasting having long gone from the sandwich, the bread was still wonderfully fragrant, with a chewy crusty exterior and a soft fluffy interior. The meats in both were ample, my pork belly still had a crispy skin and was well seasoned, and the salads were fresh and tasty. Queen V was particularly impressed to find a generous amount of pate in her lemongrass chicken roll. 

Price Range: $5 - $15pp

Taste: 8/10
Value: 9/10
Service: 8/10
Environment: 7/10

Miki Beautiful Sushi - Brisbane CBD

Second Japanese lesson, and in spirit of the class, we opted for Miki sushi along Adelaide street for take out that evening. Having tried it before, my main complaint was the fact that the sushi was cold as if it had come straight from the fridge. This time, I picked it up at lunch and kept it till dinner, so the temperature would no longer be an issue. Arriving at the store at 11am, I was a little disappointed at the brisk and short attitude I received despite there being no line all. 

What stood out to me about Miki was the brown and black rice options in most rolls. Although I didn't order any (friends would know that it would take a miracle to make me eat non white rice), it forms a nice healthy option for those who are health conscious.

Further to being health conscious, I found Miki to be quite environmentally friendly too, with sushi packaged in paper bags rather than the plastic boxes that other chains use. Having to carry it around with me to UQ though, I was a bit concerned with squishing the rolls. 

Thankfully, with enough love and affection, they arrived unscathed. 

Each roll was wrapped in plastic which was perforated in the middle, allowing for us to eat them without chopsticks and without getting our hands dirty. 

 

Between the two of us, we had five rolls (unfortunately nothing raw as it wouldn't last half a day in the Brisbane summer). At room temperature, I found the sushi to be far more palatable, with the rice having a good consistency without the frozen hard centre. It was amply seasoned with vinegar and sugar too. The toppings tasted alright, except for the crumbed prawn which I found to be quite bland. For the slightly higher than average prices, the sushi rolls weren't as large as other stores that I've been to which was a little disappointing.

Price Range: $3+ per roll

Taste: 6/10
Value: 6/10
Service: 5/10
Environment: 7/10